Notes and Editorial Reviews

At the end of the century, EMI has taken the opportunity to remaster some of the most critically acclaimed albums in its back catalog. In 1977, Riccardo Muti's recording of Magnificat and Gloria surprised audiophiles with a superb performance of two of Vivaldi's lesser-known works.Vivaldi wrote a good deal of material for the choruses and orchestras of Ospedale della Pieta, an all-girl orphanage in Venice. In this recording, Muti, already a star conductor, took the sacred music written for a small group of young music students and put it in the professional hands of the New Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra. The full-blown sound may not be entirely faithful to the original--opera divas Teresa Berganza and Lucia Valentini Terrani haveRead more remarkably rich and vibrant voices, but neither is a soprano as selected by Vivaldi--but the result is equally successful. The larger orchestra brings a new dimension to pieces, making a connection to Vivaldi's more famous compositions. Read less

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review: ( 1 Customer Review )

ExcellentOctober 26, 2013By steven howes (Winnipeg, MB)See All My Reviews"I just finished listening to it again. The first thing that struck me was how short the Magnificat was. I didn't look at the CD liner but it seemed to be over before I knew it. It's only 21 min long ( Gloria is 29min), so not as short as I thought, I guess time just flew. I prefered the Gloria to Magnificat, but both are awesome. Loved the CD."Report Abuse

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